The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-27
An APPALLING ACCIDENT.
A BUILDING OCCUPIED BY A
NUMBER OF INMATES
Takes Fire In the Dead OF Night and
Creates scene That b ggars
Description.
ABRAVE MANCATCHEsANOTAER
WHO JUMPED
From the Fourth Story Into His Arms
Two Otker Occupants Perish
In the Planes.

PIrTsBURe, Pa, April 26.-0ne OF
the most disastrous fires in this vicin-
ity, for some time, broke out this
morning In " ills Bros, grocery, cor.
ner Of La Cock and CORY streets, Al
leeheny City, entsiling loss of life, be-
sides injury TO teveral people and the
destruction OF considerable property.
The building, which is a four story
aud the largest In the Deigbborhood,
is used as q grocery by Charles, John
and George Willis. They and their
mother and some roomers occupy the
upper etories. Shortly after l o'clock
Mrs. Willis was awakened by crack
ling noise and the smell of smoke.
Arising she cav sparks coming up the
elevator in the rear portion OF the
building. She alarmed the inmates,
and at the same time people on the
outside discovered the FIRE and gave
the alarm. A number Of people were
known to be in the burning building,
and The hremen Immediately ran lad,
ders to the various etories OF The build
ing, while the policemen turned their
attention to breaking in the doors and
ukutlHk blolA Why w thO iOoLho VI tbc
unfortunates Upstairs, bewildered
by the smoke and flames,
were Mrs Willis, Mics o.
i've Willis, Miss Mary Willis, John
Willis, William EbermaD, employed
as a driver by the firm; two Greeks
named Hoggizrun and Prellerizen,
who worked for the American Candy
Com pany and roomed in the building;
Fred Shuliz. an employe Of the firm
Charles Willis, George Willis and Miss
Sophie Boles. These people were the
first thought Of by the fremen, and
never has the Allegheny Department
done better work. The smoke was
thick, and hung in dense clouds
through passages and Railways. To
open window from one OF the ladders
thrown up against the building was to
meet a cloud Of suffocating vspor, but
into it all, both firemen and policemen,
plunged. The heads of the frightened
women were enveloped in cloths, and
they were carried out, all uninjured
except Sophie Boles. She could not
be found, and almost from the ftst
was looked upon as Lost. One OF the
most appalling incidents OF the fire
wss the jumping of two of the people
from the building while the firemen
were fighting their way up stairs, and
awe struck crowds stood on the streets
gazing up at the burning build
ing. William Eberman appeared at the
window on the third floor. He was
too far gone to shout but he was seen
and the crowd yelled to him to hold
on. A ladder went up and man
hastily started to help the man. When
the reecuer had reached the second
floor, Eoerman was seen to luTch for.
ward, and then come down with q
rush. Whether be fell or jumped
could not be told. He fell on his
head and shoulders and was picked up
unconscious. One OF the Greeks,
Hoggitz I'M, q powerful man, was the
other vic i'm. Hisroo WAS on the
fourth floor. The bravery Of man in
the crowd probably saved his life.
The Greek had poised himself on the
sill, looking al the fl ,mes behind and
the pavement below, aud then made
epring from the sill. Just as his body
shot downward, man from the crowd
IAN forward and with arms out
stretched, caught the falling body.
The force sent him to the ground with
the Greek, bat the lstttr's head hit
the pavement and it Is thought his
skull ia f,scturei.. Tbs mau who al
run this rsk for p etrapgsr, disappear
ed and tue Greek was carried away.
The fire hsld on etubborlly and it
was $50 O'Clock before it wts under
control. A search of the house was
then made, aud the bodies OF Sophia
Boles and Fred Schultz were found on
the fourth fl 1or. They were still in
he'd, and had evidently sutl located to
desth from the smoke The injured,
Eb imam and the two Greeka ware re-
moved to a hospital, where they are
now resting easy. 1t 10 feared, how
ever, that E9ermsn and HJggitzrun
will not recover. The fire. is supposed
to have been caused by an explosion
of natural gas The loss is 500 600;
covered by Insurance.
The Greeks who were injured
during the Allegheny fi'e this morn
ing came here from B 'ooklyn, N. Y,
where they were well known. Their
condition ia very serious this after.
noon, and recovery is not considered
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